The present invention is an inlet opening protector for use on railroad hopper cars or other vessels having hatch openings. Hopper cars typically have a car body made of top, side and bottom walls. Interior partitions divide the car body into a plurality of compartments. Access to the compartments is provided by a plurality of hatches or openings in the top wall of the car body and by a bottom opening for each compartment. The bottom opening is normally closed off by an outlet gate. The inlet openings typically are defined by an upstanding wall referred to as a coaming. The coaming frequently, although not always, has a radial flange on its upper edge. The coaming is most often cylindrical, although it could be otherwise.
The inlet protector of the present invention is utilized during maintenance operations to prevent damage to the coaming and to isolate the car interior from the exterior. Maintenance operations on hopper cars can include sandblasting of the exterior to remove paint and scale and relining of the interior of the compartments. The protector of the present invention allows these operations to be performed simultaneously. The normal hatch cover is opened or removed during maintenance and the inlet protector installed. The protector forms a cover which closes the inlet opening and shields the coaming from shotblast and the like. It should be noted that access to the interior of the car is obtained through the bottom opening of the compartments because the outlet gate which normally closes off the bottom of the hopper is removed during these maintenance operations.